See: Chris Rock addresses the infamous Will Smith slap
In 2022, a year after actor Will Smith slapped the comedian on stage, comedian Chris Rock finally addressed what he called “a room heard around the world.” Academy Awards.
“I’m going to try to put on a show tonight without offending anyone. I’m going to try my best because you never know who’s going to get fired up,” Rock said during the opening of his live show in Baltimore. “People always say words hurt. No one punched in the face with hurtful words.
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In the newly released Netflix special, “Selective Outrage,” Rock responded during his stand-up routine and shared his thoughts on the incident. He said he was “not a victim, but a child”.
“You all know what happened to me, getting beat up by Suge Smith,” Rock said. “It still hurts. ‘Summer’ rang in my ears. But I’m not a victim, kid. You’ll never see Oprah or Gayle cry…I took that hit like Pacquiao.
During last year’s Academy Awards, when Rock was presenting an award, he joked about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. In a tense and shocking onstage altercation, Smith took to the Oscars stage and attacked the host, leaving the audience stunned.
Later in the evening, Smith apologized to the Academy and fellow nominees in a tearful speech after accepting the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams. ,” but did not directly mention or apologize to Rock.
Following that night, Smith resigned his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the organization behind the Oscars — and the Academy banned the actor from any Academy event or program, including the Oscars, for 10 years.
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Smith later addressed the incident directly in a video posted on social media and apologized to Rock. At the time, Smith said he reached out to Rock, who responded that he was “not ready to talk.”
“So I’m telling you, Chris, I apologize to you,” Smith said in the video. “My behavior is unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
In his latest special, Rock responded to Smith’s apology.
“I’ve loved Will Smith, all my life,” Rock said. “I’ve rooted for Will Smith my whole life … Now I’m watching ‘Deliverance’ and I’m watching him get attacked.”
Rock also said people asked him: “How come you don’t do anything back [to Smith] That night?”
“Because I got parents,” the comedian said. “You know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people.
The 95th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood and will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and Fubo TV with subscription.
